A coppersmith works in his workshop at the Safafeer copper market in Baghdad, Iraq, Jan. 16, 2021. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood)
Iraq's old copper market, which reflects traditional cultural and economic life of Baghdad, is losing its shine due to the coronavirus pandemic and other challenges.
BAGHDAD, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- Souk al-Safafeer, or copper market, which was once a famous landmark in Iraqi capital Baghdad, is struggling for survival due to the coronavirus pandemic and other challenges that are holding it back from keeping pace with life.
Branching from Rashid Street, one of the oldest streets in downtown Baghdad, the bustling market in the narrow alley was teeming with the sounds of chisels and hammers that had been ringing in its corners for centuries to make utensils, teapots, spoons, picture frames, and embossed lanterns.
But now the rhythm of the copper market is quieter and the clamor of its crowds much more subdued. Many copper shops have been replaced by textile, hand tools, and other shops. The old copper market is losing its shine.
In the narrow alley on the eastern bank of the Tigris River, many craftsmen work in small dimly-lit shops. They all inherited the arduous profession of their forefathers and made their market a historical landmark that once attracted nearly all who travelled to Baghdad.
A coppersmith holds a lamp similar to the famous Aladdin lamp at the Safafeer copper market in Baghdad, Iraq, Jan. 16, 2021.(Xinhua/Khalil Dawood)
The craftsmen believe that the challenges are very strong in the copper market that they can barely keep the rest of their shops open, and they blame the downturn in business on the coronavirus pandemic and the country's economic crisis.
"The coronavirus pandemic and the difficult economic situation in the country negatively affected us, in addition to the fact that the presence of imported copper products at low prices exacerbated our economic situation," Ihsan Uoun, a 45-year-old coppersmith, told Xinhua.
Zuhair al-Saffar, 50, who inherited the profession from his father, brought back his memories to the time of the prosperity of the copper industry, stressing that in the last several decades of the last century, the copper market was a beacon for tourism.
A coppersmith works in his workshop at the Safafeer copper market in Baghdad, Iraq, Jan. 16, 2021. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood)
The copper market was swarming with many foreign tourists throughout the year to buy souvenirs of copper artifacts that depict the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia, such as the Lion of Babylon, the Lamassu (winged bull), the Ishtar Gate, the spiral minaret of Samarra, and others.
However, tourist visits have fallen sharply in the war-torn country for several reasons, including the insecurity and violence that engulfed the country after the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, as well as the recent spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
The coppersmiths in the market are also concerned about a lack of support for handicrafts and traditional industries, as well as the lack of protection from competition with imported goods. The copper workshops are gradually being replaced by shops selling ready-made products.
"Al-Safafeer Market was specialized in making copper utensils. In the past, all houses in Baghdad and across Iraq were using copper utensils, such as basins, jugs, trays, plates, and other things," al-Saffar said.
A shop owner sells copper artifacts at the Safafeer copper market in Baghdad, Iraq, Jan. 16, 2021. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood)
"However, things have changed over time, and people began to use steel, aluminum, and other materials for utensils. Therefore, this profession began to disappear, and the craftsmen were mainly forced to make their living by manufacturing artworks," al-Saffar added.
The coppersmiths are also focusing on manufacturing decorations for doors and homes, in addition to making badges at the request of some people and other things like engraved metal plates containing pictures of prominent Iraqi and international figures, according to al-Saffar.
